Adjustable stay for wire fences



No. almas. Patented Aug. 30,1898. w. H. RICE.. ADJUSTABLE STAY FUR WIRE FENCES.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1897.1

Witnesses Nrrnn STATES VILLIAM I-I. RICE, OF MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADJUSTABLE STAY FOR WIRE FENCS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,083, dated August 30, 1898.

Application filed December 29, 1897. Serial No. 664,327. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM II.RIOE,a citizen of the United States, residing at Mechanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable y Stays for Wire Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to a novel fence-stay designed for use upon wire fences to prevent sagging of the wires and consequent distortion ofthe fence.

To the accomplishment of this object my invention consists in forming the fence-stay from a continuous strand of wire bent to form a hook at one end, a stirrup at the opposite end, and an intermediate latch by means of which the spring end of the stirrup may be bent to insert the lower wire and may be securely closed and held permanently in place by its spring end being clamped fast to the said latch-bar after the said Wire insertion to retain the wire.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a general view showing a number of my stays applied upon a wire-fence panel, and Fig. 2 is a front view of the stay. Fig. 3 is a side view of the stay, showing the latch open. Fig. 4 is a side view thereof, showing the latch closed.

Referring to the `letters and numerals on the drawings, Aindicates the stay complete, which is formed from a continuous strand of wire provided with bends 2 and 3 at suitable distances from its opposite ends 4to form oppositely-extending portions or strands 4i and 5, extending parallel to a straight rod 6, intermediate of the bends 2 and 3. The strand 4 is extended parallel to the rod 6 to about the center of the latter, where it is bent at right angles, as indicated at 7, to form a transverse bar 8, which is. looped at its eX- tremity 9 around the barV 6.

The opposite clamped fast to the latter. The bend 2 at the upper end of the stay is then bent down,

as indicated, to form a hook 1I, which i-s designed to be placed over the top Stringer and to support the next lower stringer of the fence, which passes through the stirrup and is securely retained in place therein by the springing of the latch end IO over the latchbar 8 previous to the permanent clamping of said ylatch end l() to the said bar 8 of the strand 5. t

While I have illustrated and described the preferable embodiment of my invention', I do not desire to limit myself to the structural details set out,but reserve the right to change, modify, and vary the same at will within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A fence-stay formed of a single length of wire doubled upon itself to form looped ends and one straight side, one of said looped ends of the stay being bent over to form a Y transverse hook, and the wire being bent near one of its ends at an angle with the straight side, and permanently secured thereto, while the other end of the wire is provided with a hook adapted to engage with said angular portion to lock the stay in position, substantially as described.`

2. A fence-stay formed of a single length of wire doubled upon itselfto form looped ends and one straight side, one of the looped ends of the stay being bent over to form a transverse hook, the other looped end of the stay having its curved sides bent laterally in opposite directions away from the plane of the main body-of the stay, and the wire being bent near one of its ends at an angle to the straight side and permanently secured thereto, while the other end of the wire is provided with a hook adapted to engage with said angular portion to lock the stay inposition, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. t

WILLIAM H. RICE. Witnesses: y y

ED. S. WAGONER, II. H. MERCER. 

